Steak marker



D. C NELSON June 6, 1967 STEAK MARKER Filed Jan. 8, 1965 FIG.2

#imlllllllllllll INVENTOR. DONALD C. NELSON BY Q g ATT Y.

United States Patent 3,323,239 STEAK MARKER Donald C. Nelson, 3382 Bywood Road, Akron, Ohio 44313 Filed Jan. 8, 1965, Ser. No. 424,365 2 Claims. (Cl. 4ll--2) This invention relates to steak markers of the type used by cooks. Diners in restaurants and similar dining rooms, when ordering steak, usually indicate the amount of cooking they want their steak to have and the terminology the diner uses for this purpose is generally one of a category of five as follows, rare, medium rare, well, medium and medium well. When a waiter is serving several diners at one table he may have orders for steaks of different degrees of cooking. When the cook has prepared the steaks as order he sticks a steak marker in each steak indicating the degree of cooking that steak has received. By the use of the markers the waiter can readily serve each diner the steak he ordered without error or confusion.

Before the present invention, so far as applicant knows, a separate marker was required for each said degree of cooking. This required stocking of five different kinds of markers. The prior markers were of general paddle-shape, the narrow end being adapted to be inserted in the steak and the flat portion bearing the wording, or symbol, of the degree of cooking.

An object of the present invention is to provide a single steak marker that may be used efficiently by a cook to indicate on any one of a plurality of steaks ordered the cooked condition of that steak.

Another object of the invention is to provide a steak marker that may be quickly inserted in a steak to a predetermined depth that insures proper anchorage of the marker.

A further object is to provide a steak marker that avoids the necessity of a restaurant, or the like, having to provide a complicated stock of such markers.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a steak marker having aesthetic appeal and is inexpensive relative to the number of such markers necessary to stock in the prior art.

Other objects and advantages of the invention Will be apparent to those skilled in the art, from the description in the specification and by reference to the drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a steak marker embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an edge view of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a prospective view illustrating the operative position of the marker relative to a steak.

Referring now to the drawing in detail and to FIG. 1 in particular it will be seen that a steak marker referred to generically as is of the general shape of a relatively thin five pointed star having points 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 and radially disposed arms 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19. Marker 10 has a body portion 20 that forms a base for said arms and it is to be noted the base portions of the arms are separated by a slightly arcuate portion 21 of the body, this separating portion 21 being of substantial length relative to the length of the arms. It is also to be noted that each arm has a side parallel with a side of an alternate arm and that, as will be seen by reference to FIG. 3, these parallel sides function :as depth limits, When the marker is inserted into steak by a cook. It will also be seen that the body portions 21 will be buried in the steak to a depth determined by said parallel sides of the arms. The portion of the body of the marker buried in the steak insures a firm anchorage of the marker.

The marker 10 is preferably composed of a moldable plastic and obviously lends itself to an aesthetic design which is an important element of a product such as a steak marker.

Opposite each arm, adjacent each arcuate margin 21, is printed words or symbols, preferably by molded raised letters, the desired legend as will be understood by reference to the drawing. Thus RARE is opposite to arm 17; MR opposite to arm 18; WELL opposite arm 19; MED opposite arm 15; and MW opposite arm 16.

The invention is susceptible to numerous modifications other than those described, and the right is herein reserved to make such changes as fall within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A steak marker comprising a substantially flat thin body portion having a plurality of arcuate edge portions, a plurality of arms extending from the body and being integral with and in the same plane with the body, the arms having pointed ends and being spaced about the edge of the body, the arcuate portions being disposed between the arms, each said arcuate portion being diametrically opposite a said arm, the body having printed thereon radially inwardly of each arcuate edge portion a legend adapted to indicate the cooked condition of a steak on which the marker has been placed for that purpose.

2. A steak marker of the character described comprising, a substantially flat thin body portion having an edge from which pointed arms extend substantially in the fashion of a five pointed star, and body having symbols thereon indicating various degrees of cooking, said arms being equi-spaced about said edge and the edge portion between the arms being arcuate lengthwise, each said arm being adapted to pierce a steak and together with said arcuate portion to anchor the marker thereon, said symbols being disposed, relative to the arms, so that a cook, by selecting the arm to be inserted in a steak, can

indicate, by the marker, the cooked condition of the steak.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 229,514 7/1880 Allsop 40--2 1,267,407 5/1918 Harrison 40125 2,037,773 4/1936 Cynon 40 X EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner. W. J. CONTRERAS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A STEAK MARKER COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT THIN BODY PORTION HAVING A PLURALITY OF ARCUATE EDGE PORTIONS, A PLURALITY OF ARMS EXTENDING FROM THE BODY AND BEING INTEGRAL WITH AND IN THE SAME PLANE WITH THE BODY, THE ARMS HAVING POINTED ENDS AND BEING SPACED ABOUT THE EDGE OF THE BODY, THE ARCUATE PORTIONS BEING DISPOSED BETWEEN THE ARMS, EACH SAID ARCUATE PORTION BEING DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE A SAID ARM, THE BODY HAVING PRINTED THEREON RADIALLY INWARDLY OF EACH ARCUATE EDGE PORTION A LEGEND ADAPTED TO INDICATE THE COOKED CONDITION OF A STEAK ON WHICH THE MARKER HAS BEEN PLACED FOR THAT PURPOSE. 